30 years after her initial on-screen debut, Major Makoto Kusanagi is set for a faithful return in Science Saru‘s fresh take on the 1995 sci-fi classic Ghost in the Shell. The studio has dropped the debut trailer for its upcoming anime series, showing a blue-haired Major in an industrialised metropolitan city, accompanied by red Tachikoma — the walker robots endowed with artificial intelligence that appeared in Masamune Shirow’s original manga.
The clip also gave an extended first look at other characters, such as Batou and Aramaki, alongside a firmed-up release window of July 2026. A key visual illustrated by character designer and chief animation director Shuhei Handa accompanied the announcement, following its reveal at the Ghost in the Shell exhibition at the Tokyo Node Gallery:
Moko-chan, assistant director of DAN DA DAN, is helming The Ghost in the Shell, with acclaimed sci-fi novelist Toh EnJoe (Space Dandy, Godzilla Singular Point) serving as a scriptwriter and series composer. Science Saru is joined by Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, and Production I.G. on the production committee.
“Deep into the twenty-first century, the line between man and machine has been inexorably blurred as humans rely on the enhancement of mechanical implants and robots are upgraded with human tissue,” reads the official synopsis for the series.
“In this rapidly converging landscape, cyborg superagent Major Motoko Kusanagi is charged to track down the craftiest and most dangerous terrorists and cybercriminals, including ‘ghost hackers’ who are capable of exploiting the human/machine interface and reprogramming humans to become puppets to carry out the hackers’ criminal ends.”
Announced in early 2025, the project marks the first anime instalment for the franchise since 2020’s Ghost in the Shell: SAC_204 and the 10th adaptation overall of the manga. Mamoru Oshii’s original animated feature remains the most popular and acclaimed, spawning four more manga entries, five animated movies, a live-action film adaptation starring Scarlett Johansson, and four anime series over the years.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
